Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – Recognizing, monitoring, and managing pollutants that persist in the environment for a long time is one of the challenges addressed by the collaboration between CONOU – the National Consortium of Used Mineral Oils – and the Department of Energy, Systems, Land, and Construction Engineering (Destec) at the University of Pisa. The initiative aims to support research on PFAS, raise awareness among citizens and institutions, and develop knowledge useful for addressing an increasingly significant environmental problem.
PFAS are a large group of synthetic chemicals used in many everyday products.
Their high persistence means they can remain in the environment for a long time, making their study essential to understand their relevance, as well as the health risks and to identify effective prevention and eradication strategies.
In Tuscany, data shows the importance of investigating the phenomenon. According to the ARPAT 2025 Yearbook, published last February, measurable PFAS residues were detected in 95% of the monitoring stations in surface water and 73% of groundwater.
Furthermore, 48% of the surface water monitoring stations recorded exceedances of the environmental quality standards considered by the indicator. On April 13, 2026, the Tuscany Region launched a specific investigation to map the sources of contamination in wastewater, emissions, and solid materials from the main production activities. Meanwhile, PFAS are still widely used in numerous products, from packaging to medicines, firefighting foams, electronic circuit boards, and cosmetics.
Faced with such a complex issue, scientific research is an essential tool because it allows us to collect data, improve knowledge, and build evidence-based answers.
This awareness is the basis for the initiative by CONOU and UNIPI-DESTEC, which are promoting two research grants to support young researchers. The aim is to further explore the characteristics of PFAS and the possible ways to manage them in various production chains.
The two research grants will focus on "Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): A Silent Challenge to the Circular Economy. Analysis and Management Approaches in Various High-End Supply Chains (Including Used Mineral Oils)." Conou's contribution is part of the Consortium's mission since 1984: ensuring the collection and treatment of used mineral oils, promoting their recovery through regeneration. Today, the Consortium ensures the collection of all collectable used oils nationwide and regenerates over 98% of the oil collected.
"For a few years now, we've been focusing on this invisible enemy," explains Riccardo Piunti, president of CONOU, "not only because we find traces of it in mineral oils, but because we believe it's a still poorly understood phenomenon that needs to be addressed with greater determination. As a recycling consortium, we feel a strong sense of responsibility, given that PFAS from products also end up contaminating waste, which risks becoming irrecyclable even many years after it enters circulation. Our institutional goals also include promoting and supporting the study, testing, and development of new treatment processes and alternative uses, through research and analysis aimed at optimizing and making the entire waste oil management cycle increasingly efficient. With this project, the consortium also aims to stay in touch with the younger generations, the professionals of tomorrow, who will be faced with this issue in particular."
"Recovering a material isn't enough. We also need to understand what we're putting back into circulation," emphasizes Pierluigi Zerbino, associate professor at Destec and scientific director of the initiative. "This is one of the issues we address at Destec, where the circular economy has long been an important area of research, thanks in part to the contribution of our Management Engineering group. Some challenges are easily recognizable, such as material recovery and the organization of production chains. Others emerge only when we analyze production processes and supply chains more deeply. This is the case with PFAS, substances that are still little known to the general public, which can make it more difficult to recover and reuse materials safely. Their presence affects various sectors, from construction to the paper industry, to electrical and electronic equipment. To address this challenge, we need to better understand these substances and understand how to manage them along supply chains. The collaboration with CONOU offers us the opportunity to delve deeper into the topic and involve future professionals in the search for solutions, strengthening the dialogue between academia and industry. We believe in a university research that can move beyond laboratories and offices and support those who face challenges like this."
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